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Tip of the Week

Medical Expenses

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Medical expenses that can be claimed include practices of:

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  • medicine

  • dentistry

  • optometry

  • chiropody

  • chiropractic

  • psychology (therapy or rehabilitation)

  • naturopathy

  • audiologist & speech language pathologist

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To qualify, payments for any medical expenses must have been made to:

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  • a medical practitioner

  • a dentist, or

  • a registered nurse

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Payments for prescription medicines and drugs qualify as medical expenses if purchased by you or your spouse or a dependant, as prescribed by a doctor, were recorded by a licensed pharmacist and have a drug identification number.

 

Medical expenses also include the cost of an animal specially trained to assist a person who is blind, deaf or severely impaired in the use of arms or legs.  The animals care and maintenance, which includes food, vet bills and travel expenses to a training facility to learn how to handle the animal, are all eligible expenses.

 

Ambulance charges to and from the hospital, laboratory, radiological or other diagnostic procedures prescribed by a doctor or dentist may be included in the amount claimed.

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If you must travel in excess of 40km for medical services not available near home you can claim travel expenses such as taxicabs, trains or a personal vehicle.  If you must travel 80km or more you may also deduct meal and accommodation costs.  Travelling expenses should be substantiated by receipts and must be necessitated by the distance travelled.  

 

Please note, expenses incurred after March 4, 2010 that are purely cosmetic (such as teeth whitening and botox injections) will no longer be eligible medical expenses.  Over the counter medicines are also not eligible medical expenses even if they are recorded by a pharmacist.

 

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Questions?  Call or email today!

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